Dedicated to the poet Giuseppe Giusti, the Giusti House National Museum was created to preserve and promote the poet's birthplace. It was built between 1791 and 1793 by his paternal grandfather, a politically influential figure in the Lorraine government as well as minister and friend of Pietro Leopoldo, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The building was purchased by the Italian State in 1972. After extensive restoration work, it was inaugurated as a museum in 1992.
A visit to the museum lets the visitor experience the romantic climate in the early decades of the 19th century through the decoration as well as the ideal landscapes and allegorical scenes painted on the walls, and by entering the rooms of a house once inhabited by a family of gentry.
The furnishings in the rooms have come partly from the house itself – despite – and partly from furnishings in the superintendence's storerooms and furniture from Palazzo Pitti, as the poet's numerous furnishings and memorabilia were scattered. Nevertheless, everything is consistent with a tone of refined simplicity in the family residence of country gentry.
The library especially reflects its original character, documented in a commemorative photo from the early 20th century. Among the many things kept there is the most famous portrait of Giusti, executed by Giuseppe Bezzuoli (1784-1855), a prominent painter in the Florentine art world in the first half of the 19th century.
Curated by the University of Florence's Faculty of Letters, a documentary exhibition on the upper floor illustrates the poet's life and work. Some display cases containing curious family heirlooms complete the exhibition. A sitting-room on the second floor of the museum has been set up as a listening room. Seated in vintage armchairs, we find ourselves at the center of a 'magic lantern' assembled with excerpts from 19th-century Italian poetry, sound effects, and moving images.
Cultural activities are held at the museum throughout the year. The Amici di Casa Giusti association promotes readings of the most important 19th-century Italian poets in addition to encounters with 20th-century writers.
